"It All Starts with a Winning Attitude"
News, Schedule, and Appearances
IKF Region 7 Phoneix race report.
The 2nd round of IKF Region 7 took place in Phoenix Arizona this weekend. Saturday brought great weather & great racing all day, with kids from at least 5 states, California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, & Minnesota (could be others, but I don't know them all).... With the track partially gripped up from Friday's practice session, the qualifying times were fairly fast, but the track would certainly heat up further as the day moved along.
The top 5 qualifiers were karts:
1. Justin Hodge - 99 2. Carson Enright - 11 3. Hudson Morrow - 1 4. Hayden Wagner - 15 5. Tiger Ortiz - 65
The heat race was off & running with positions changing at the start. Hayden Wagner jumped from row 2 to first place before the first corner & led Carson Enright, Justin Hodge, Tiger Ortiz, & Hudson Morrow around the track for lap 1. This group of 5 started pulling away from the rest of the pack right away & it was clear on lap 2 that things were going to be bumper to bumper until the checkered flag. Ortiz & Morrow hooked up together midway through lap 2 & when they entered the back straight Ortiz tried to go high & Morrow went low. When the front 3 karts drifted high, Ortiz got blocked, but Morrow had a clear run & with the extra draft he & Ortiz created earlier in the lap, Morrow was able to clear 3 karts, going from 5th to 2nd & he held the low line of the banked Daytona corner in pursuit of Wagner. The group of 5 again stayed bumper to bumper through the very technical infield cornering & Morrow pulled closer to Wagner as they entered the uphill toward the back straight. Morrow was able to draft Wagner entering the straight & made the pass on the inside about halfway down the straight. While Morrow was making the pass on Wagner, Ortiz was fighting his way from 5th to 4th overtaking Hodge. As they entered lap 4, it was Morrow, Wagner, Enright, Ortiz, & Hodge still together & pulling away from the pack a bit more each lap. The group ran tight for several laps, without a change in the order until the white flag dropped. While Morrow was able to get away from the pack about 4 or 5 kart lengths in laps 5, 6, & 7, the group tracked him down quickly, all drafting together throughout the white flag lap. Heading up the hill & toward the back straight, Ortiz was pushing Enright, who was also pushing Wagner. They all caught Morrow as they turned toward the back straight & Wagner went for the pass down low. Morrow certainly felt the pressure, but he never backed off & pulled through the corner quicker than Wagner as he scrubbed off a little speed down low. Enright & Ortiz stuck together on the top of the track & they too carried more speed than Wagner down the straight, so the positions changed & Ortiz kept pushing Enright all the way through the Daytona. Coming out of the last corner, Enright went low, to bottom of Morrow, Ortiz went high above Morrow, & they were 3 wide at the finish line without anyone really knowing who won. When the data sheets came down, Morrow ended up in 1st, by less than 2 hundredths of a second, with Enright 2, Ortiz 3, Wagner 4, & Hodge 5th......The top 4 all finished less than .5 of a second apart from each other - man, what a race...
With that much excitement in the Heat Race, the crowd couldn't wait for the main. The temperature was a bit hotter, the track a bit more sticky, & the times were definitely faster for the main. This race went very much like the Heat Race did, except the positions were slightly different. At the start, Wagner again got a big jump as he moved up behind Enright & Morrow followed in 3rd. Ortiz followed closely in 4th & the group this time up front was a 4 kart pack, instead of 5. Something happened in tech after the heat, so Hodge was sent to the back of the pack for the main. Ortiz & Morrow worked together again early in the race & Morrow was able to pass Wagner within lap # 2, & then he passed Enright a lap later. Morrow would run up front again for the remaining laps as Ortiz continued to get faster lap after lap, passing Wagner, and then about lap 7, he passed Enright. Going into lap 8, Enright & Ortiz, working together were able to chase down Morrow up front & then Ortiz was bumper to bumper with Morrow for the next 3 laps. When Morrow and Ortiz got stuck together, they were able to pull away from Enright about 6 or 8 kart lengths, and then the battle was on for first. On the next to the last lap, Morrow was able to put some distance between he & Ortiz, but on the white flag lap, Ortiz was determined to track Morrow down. Ortiz ran some great lines through the infield, while Morrow got a bit shaky & on the back straight, the two were literally side by side all the way down and almost all the way through the sweeping Daytona. Ortiz stayed on the throttle hard through the reverse cambered left, but Morrow was able to hold his line outside as well. Heading to the finish line they were almost side by side again & Morrow beat Ortiz to the line by less than a nose.... the data sheets showed the finish to have a mere .131 of a second separating the 2 CRP TEAMATES for 1st & 2nd place finishes ....... It was a site to see when these kids got off their karts, shook each others hands & said congratulations.....
SUNDAY
It was another great day of racing in Phoenix today. A few karts from out of state left after Saturdays results, but the fast kids all remained to race again. In the early practice sessions, Hudson Morrow showed great progress on learning the track as his lap times were better early in the morning, but local track favorite Carson Enright was lighting up the track again as he was fastest in the morning sessions. The rest of the pack seemed to be testing all morning as their times were all over the map.
In qualifying, Enright went out first, which was a blessing in disquise for Hudson Morrow ...... something about having that kart out in front makes the young 6 year old drive with a little more intensity... While Enright was still tracking at about the same times as the early morning laps, Morrow almost caught him during the green, white, checkered qualifying, even with the staggered start........At the end of the session, it was clear that Morrow can drive that kart much faster when he's chasing someone than when he's out front without a carrot......Morrow ended the qualifying session with better than a 2 second lap time advantage over the rest of the field - oh to have that carrot for 10 laps :)
Enright ended the session with 2nd best time, with Justin Hodge, Hayden Wagner & Louis Ortiz all very close together ..... In fact, the rest of the pack ran very close times. (Wagner would get DQ'd for too much tire pressure, but everyone else was good)
For the Heat race, Morrow got a great start & led the field through the first corners. Positions changed immediately as Wagner jumped from last to 4th immediately.....Justin Hodge got a great start too as he moved into position #3, with Enright pushing hard on Morrow's back bumper.....Ortiz & the rest of the pack were in chase, close behind... For the next few laps Morrow ran comfortably out front, but Enright seemed to be reeling him in, little by little each lap, & Ortiz was picking off 1 kart per lap as well in chase of the front 2 karts. With about 4 laps to go, it was Morrow, Enright, Ortiz, Hodge, all pretty close together, but Morrow & Enright began pulling away as they started working together through the entire track. As Enright took some better lines through the infield, he was able to pass Morrow midway through the back straight away twice, but Morrow fought back immediately & regained the lead within the next two corners, beating Enright to flag both times, so he never officially gave up the lead even though positions changed during the laps. When the white flag dropped Morrow & Enright were side by side at the line but Morrow held enough speed on the inside line to beat Enright to the corner again..... This pass through the infield, Morrow took some better lines & he held about a 2 kart advantage the entire lap.... What was a breathtaking race to watch for everyone, ended again with Morrow on top, Enright second, Ortiz third, Hodge 4th, & after that, the remaining karts battled just as hard for positions 5 on back.
Seemed a bit hotter on Sunday before the main event took place. A jetting change was discussed by Morrow's team, but the decision was made to leave things alone & spend some on the track time with young Hudson discussing racing lines instead of changing the kart setup. Hudson agreed he had some bad runs in the heat & he was determined to get it right in the main. Hudson reminded dad that he led every lap on Sunday at the last IKF race in Buttonwillow, but then he spun out in the next to the last corner causing him to get third by .5 of a second instead of winning, so Hudson admitted he was being a bit more conservative now when he's got the lead. Dad encouraged Hudson to drive hard & not worry about spinning, because his skills were good enough to hold his lines - "just drive & have fun" were the Sr. Morrow's words & Hudson said "OK".
The main started about the same way as the Heat Race. Morrow led the pack around the first lap, but postions from 2nd to 5th were changing by the second. Ortiz got a great start as did Justin Hodge, & the two of them were chasing Morrow quickly with Enright right there as well. Justin Hodge had a great run up the hill on lap 3, and he carried some serious speed into the back straight, passing both Ortiz & Morrow at once and coming out of the Daytona about 4 kart lengths ahead. So, it was Hodge, Morrow, Ortiz & Enright all bumper to bumper as they entered lap 4..... As they passed through the infield, Morrow was in chase of Hodge & Ortiz was battling to get around Morrow so that he could fight for the lead. As Morrow went low in a tight infield corner, Ortiz went high & the two touched ever so slightly coming out of the corner ..... neither lost their lines, but Ortiz ended up having to go into the rocks as Morrow came out of his apex position & this caused Ortiz to lose a chain, ending the TEAM CRP run back to the front together. That allowed Enright to move into 3rd, about 6 kart lengths back from Hodge & Morrow. Morrow was the one carrying the serious speed this lap up the hill & he caught Hodge before they entered the back straight. Rather than lifting, Morrow dove below Hodge & entered the corner toward the back straight inside of Hodge. Hodge didn't lift either so they were both looking for space as Morrow drifted up & Hodge was hoping to come down off of that high bank ...... the two got connected together & Hodge started sliding sideways, while Morrow backed off in order to avoid further contact..... This action up front allowed Enright to blow right by both Morrow & Hodge & gain several seconds on everyone...... Morrow came through the collision still in 2nd, but way off the pace as he needed time to build that speed back up again. Hodge ended sidways on the track, so he lost even more time .... luckily, the motor stayed running & Hodge did get it turned around & continued his chase once again. For the next few laps, it looked like we were back in qualifying again, with Morrow chasing Enright for the lead. As we've learned before, Morrow just drives faster when he's chasing 1st place & after 3 laps, he regained the lead again with another great pass coming toward the checkered flag. Enright was not willing to give up so easily & in laps 8 & 9, Enright timed the hill and the back straight perfectly, passing Morrow for the lead again on both laps. The lead was short lived both times though as Morrow pulled the same move again, 2 more times right in front of the crowd, passing Enright at the flags both times. When the white flag dropped, Morrow & Enright were side by side again (these kids were amazing to watch all day). In the final lap, Morrow watched his lines closely & pulled about 5 kart lengths from Enright through the infied corners & this time, Morrow was not going to give up the lead on the back straight. Morrow carried his speed through the Daytona for the last time & he held about a 1 kart length lead as he took the checkered flag in first place again. The black flag was waved with the checkered just so that everyone could review the earlier contact and make sure the racing was clean.
After a detailed technical inspection of the entire top 5, all officials took time to review the driving, passing, & it was agreed by all that the fans watched the kids battle it out on the track with some serious heart thumping racing, but there was no rough driving, just kids fighting hard for positions in some tight places. All karts passed tech, but the 4th place finish got a DQ for tire pressure, just as Wagner received earlier in the day.....both times, the left rear tire was at 20.1, something about that tire was getting hot for those karts....
Final order for Sundays main was:
1. Morrow - 1 2. Enright - 11 (local driver) 3. Hodge - 99 4. Willis - 73 (another local driver) 5. Derek Deslauriers - 34 (Minnesota driver)
2010 TEAM DRIVERS
SPENCER DANIELS: This will be Spencer's third year with the team. We have seen him grow from his very beginning in kid karts all the way to his first season in Cadets last year. He brings a wealth of experience with him having traveled all over the U.S. racing road course and both dirt and asphalt ovals. He will be primarily honing his cadet racing skills at Beaverun this season, but we are hoping that he ventures out to a Regional race or two. Welcome back Spencer and we can't wait to get the season started with you.
HUDSON MORROW: Hudson is the youngest team member ever selected by CRP Racing. This West Coast phenom is simply a Superstar in the making. As a 5 year old last season, Hudson raced on multiple different tracks throughout California & Nevada and he quickly proved to be one of the most skilled and competitive kid kart drivers in the Region. Hudson raced in several IKF Region 7 & Region 11 events and never once finished off the podium. Hudson will take on the challenge of the Region 7 chase for the Championship this year & has high hopes of becoming the youngest IKF Grand National Champion in the history of the sport. We look forward to getting to know the Morrow family much better & hope that scheduling will allow them to participate in the Kid Kart Nationals in July. Enjoy the ride Hudson & welcome to TEAM CRP. Congratulations!!!
HARRY COULTON: Harry is an East Coast karting sensation that continues to be the one that all the other kid karters try to finish ahead of. This will be his third year racing karts and he is starting to build quite an impressive karting resume. Racing is in his blood and he even does some of his own maintenance to keep his machine running up front. We welcome Harry and his entire family to TEAM CRP and look forward to an exciting year!
NICK LUEDEKE: He has been a fellow competitor of ours for two years now and will be running almost the exact same equipment as Kaden in 2010. This means a ton of testing and working together in cadet and Yamaha Jr. Sportsman. Nick will be competing at Beaverun, the Great Lakes Sprint Series and some WKA Man Cup events in 2010. We wish him the best of luck and look forward to a great year of racing together.
LUIS "TIGER" ORTIZ: A rising West Coast karting sensation that will be representing us in IKF Region 7 and at the Grand Nationals in 2010. He will hopefully make the trip to the Kid Kart Nationals in July as well. He will definitely be a force to be reckoned with on the West Coast and we are hoping for big things to come from him. Congratulations Tiger!!!
CADEN PASZKIEWICZ: We are proud to have Caden back on our team in 2010. This young driver from Hartland, Wisconsin was a fourth place finisher for us at the 2009 Kid Kart Nationals and has many heat and feature wins with his local club. Caden will be once again attending the Kid Kart Nationals and also plans on running some of the Regional races in his area along with his club racing. No doubt he will be one driver to watch in Missouri come July. We are glad to welcome you and your family back, Good Luck and Congratulations!!
TOMMY FRAZIER: We have known Tommy for a couple of years now, competing with him at the cadet level. He will be moving up to Yamaha Jr. Super Can in 2010 and racing primarily at Beaverun Motorsports Complex. Tommy has won two local track Championships and I can tell you with the level of talent that is in the Ohio/PA area, this is not an easy task by any stretch. His father is one of the hardest working guys I know in the pits and with Tommy's driving skills, we are sure they will make the transition moving up from cadets very quickly. Good Luck Tommy and welcome to TEAM CRP.
SETH HICKMAN: Seth comes to us from Oshkosh, Wisconsin and was a Top Three Finisher at the 2009 Kid Kart Nationals. He will certainly have his eyes set on a National Championship in 2010 and will keep his skills sharp at the club level racing at both Shawano and Road America. Welcome aboard Seth and Congratulations!
BRANDIN WARWAS: Brandin is a talented driver from Cypress, Texas. He is the 2009 High Point Series Champion. He swept the spring and fall series and is the current fast lap record holder for both sessions. He also pulled off a Southwest Regional Cup win in 09. In 2010 he will be racing the Gulf Coast Karting Series, as well and the Southwest Regional Cup Series and plans to attend the 2010 Kid Kart Nationals. Congratulations Brandin and welcome to the TEAM!
KADEN HARTER: Kaden is the back bone of Team CRP and is continuing to get smoother and faster each and every time out. He came on very strong at the end of the 2009 season with a top three finish in Regional competition against some of the best in the nation and at Beaverun running with the top three in the Cadet class. We think we found him just the right mix of engine and Chassis to match his driving style and there is no doubt in my mind that in 2010, podium appearances will be a common occurrence.
A recap of our very successful racing Season!
As with any racing season there are ups and downs. There are National Championships, Regional Championships, Series Championships, Local Championships, Top 3 Finishes, Top 5 finishes, Top 10 finishes and then there are days we just rather put behind us and learn from them. Fortunately, for TEAM CRP in 2009 there were not too many days we wanted to put behind us. This was our most successful season to date and we are no doubt on a roll!!! We had wins just about everywhere this year. From the East Coast to the West Coast, and even down in South America we raced hard. We were everywhere and everywhere we went, we were winning races. All season long Team CRP drivers and crews proved that it takes much more than big money engines, over priced equipment, fuel doping and fresh tires every race to be successful. It takes hard work, dedication, integrity and a ton of practice and determination.
Just a few of the innumerable accomplishments of the Team Drivers in 2009 were: Dominating the Kid Kart Nationals with a total of only 6 entries, 3 in the Restricted class that claimed 3 of the Top 5 podium spots and another 3 entries in the Unrestricted class resulting in the National Champion and another top 5. That is 6 drivers out of the 36 there, taking home 5 podium spots and we didn’t stop there. These amazing young men took the IKF Region 7 Sunday Kid Kart Championship, the New Castle Motorsports Kart Racing Series Championship, the Los Angeles Kart Club Championship, the California State Championship Title, finished 2nd at the Midvale Karting Series, 3rd at Great Lakes Sprint Series and countless heat and feature wins in the WKA, IKF, Central American Championship and the list goes on and on… We build trust in the engine and chassis, but most importantly we train and build confidence in the driver. In case you are wondering, we plan to continue our upward spiral in 2010, whether it is running a Comer or a Briggs, bolted to Birel, Top Kart, Arrow, or CRG chassis we have every intention of continuing our dominating ways.
Here at CRP “WE CHASE THE DREAM, NOT THE COMPETITION
California State Championships: Kid Karts this weekend belonged to one driver and one driver only, Ethan Barrett. Normally a close class by nature, the Kid Karts usually provide a great battle from start to finish. This weekend there was still hot and heavy action on track but it was for the lower steps on the podium and not for the win. Barrett qualified on pole both days and won both heat races. He backed things up with two wins in the finals as well. Saturday’s rain performance was extraordinary as he put half a track between himself and Anthony Sawyer in the adverse conditions. Third place was up for grabs and eventually Ryan Lewis won out. All wasn’t perfect for Barrett, as he had to fight back on Sunday from fifth after being slowed on the start. This did allow Hudson Morrow and Dylan McKenzie to get a taste of the lead, but it was short lived. Barrett took back the lead around halfway and went on to his second win of the weekend. Taken from ekartingnews.com article written by Sean Buur - Go Racing Magazine
Congratulations Ethan, Not only did he dominate the California State Championships this past weekend with a total sweep winning the feature on Saturday by over 19 Seconds, he is also crushed the West Coast competition all season and won Los Angelos Track Championship. His new Nickname is the "Storm Stopper"
There is nothing like going out on Top, and this past weekend in Guatemala young driving sensation Nicolas Saravia did just that! Setting fast qualifying time and putting his #16 kart on the pole. He went on to win a hard fought battle taking a win in both the pre-final and the final. The competition in stiff there and the many of the drivers spend a ton of time in Florida practicing in the Easy 60cc class and the micro-max class. It sometimes seems like and insurmountable task to make the podium, but perseverance and Nicolas’s true driving ability is what has been paying off time and time again at the track. We are very proud of all of your efforts this season and wish we could have been there to be a part of the celebration. Nicolas will be returning to Team CRP in 2010 and plans to attend many races in the U.S. and the Kid Kart Nationals in July. Congratulations Nicolas
What an incredible weekend!! I would like to first thank both Enrique and Elizabeth for their hospitality and kindness. Throughout my entire trip they went out of their way to make sure I was comfortable and had everything I needed. Thanks for the opportunity to see Guatemala and El Salvador, two countries I would have probably never visited without your invitation. It was a weekend I will most likely never forget. I must say it is very different racing in Central America, the karts are just as fast, the drivers are just as focused but it is much more of a spectacle than here in the U.S. There were huge sponsor banners and tents everywhere, inflatables galore, music playing constantly and the awards presentation was quite an event with Sobe Adrenaline being sprayed everywhere. Nicolas was truly a joy to watch, and I was very impressed by his ability to hit every mark. It is quite obvious watching this young man, that his father has spent quite a bit of time working with him and knows what he is doing behind the wheel. We had our work cut out for us as the two points leading competitors were running 57cc Bluebird engines (rated at over 3.4 h.p. stock) which as most of you know is over 1 ˝ h.p. more than even the best Comer C51’s. The rules are very vague, to say the least, and it almost seemed like an impossible task as I watched the practice times of the drivers running the other engine package. We tried everything on Friday after we had spent a few hours just tweaking the chassis the afternoon prior, and got done to where we thought we had a shot at the top three.
Qualifying rolled around, which is much different than the states. It is basically a 15 free run session, we sent Nicholas out and he quickly got his fast time and we pulled him in, made two changes and sent him back out. He set the pole by almost a second and a half! The pre-final, from a standing start would have the Bluebird engines leave us like we not even pushing the gas, Nicolas quickly caught up at the end of the first lap and would leave the entire field crossing the finish line of the 10 lap race over 8 seconds ahead of 2d place. The start of the final race was more of the same, there was nothing we could do to keep the Bluebird engines from launching off the line from a dead start, we had no idea what gear ratio they were running as we were told that since we were running Comers that we had to run a 10 tooth driver with 77 rear for this particular track. But again it took no time at all for Nicolas to smoothly make his way to the front. At the half way mark of the 15 lap feature he was over 8 seconds ahead and already passing lap traffic. I had set the kart up, conservatively and it started to get tight around lap 10 and he gained a couple of tenths and 2 and 3rd (Bluebirds) were starting to close a bit but I was comfortable with his lead and thought that as smooth as he looked the race was in hand. Lap traffic thought different and as he took the white flag we realized it was going to play a factor and we hoped he would hit it in the straight aways and not the technical corners. It didn’t work out that way and he was slowed tremendously in one corner by lap traffic and the next thing we knew 2d and 3rd where now on his rear bumper. Coming around the bend for the final corner lap traffic would impede his speed again and allow the 2d place kart to advance at the line edging Nicolas but less than a kart length.
Disappointing yes, but we and more importantly his competitors knew who the fastest kart of the weekend was. He did an excellent job and proved our theory once again that it take more than Horse power to win a race. It takes a good chassis set up and a talented driver. Nicolas did an amazing job, and I will continue to travel back to help him with his program.
Again thanks to the Saravia family for inviting me and making me feel like one of the family, and I also want to give a special thanks to Marcos for all of his help with the kart.
Ethan Barrett takes a pair of 3rds in IKF Region 7's Season Opener:
This past weekend Ethan Barrett would head to the famed California Speedway to compete in the IKF, Region 7 Season opener. It was a wet and cold Saturday and it would be the young driving sensations first time ever competing in the rain. Ethan qualified 3rd for the heat race and ended up finishing 3rd. After the #8 kart was DQ'd for a loose muffler he would move up to start Saturdays main event in the number two spot. Ethan got off on a bad start and ended up getting hit from behind and spun on the start and in true CRP fashion would make it all the way back up into the 3rd spot by the time the checkered flag dropped. An amazing effort to come from last after a spin all the way back up to 3rd for his first time ever racing in wet conditions.
Returning to the track on Sunday for day two, Mother Nature would again frown and with no site of the skies clearing up they would have to do it all over in the rain again. I often joke with Bill about how lucky they have it racing out in sunny California as we all sit back here in Ohio and freeze. I was hoping he didn't feel like I jinxed him for the weekend. When it came time to put the # 88 TEAM CRP kart on the track for qualifying , there was over an inch of standing water on the track. Ethan would do one better on Sunday and qualified in the number two spot. In the heat race Ethan raced a great race and crossed the finish line in 2d place. In the main, after suffering another bad start but drove back up to 2nd. On the second to last lap, he spun but recovered and raced his way back to third (in the very last turn) for the checkered flag.
We are proud to have the Barretts on the team this year and Ethan has not finished a race out of the top three so far this year. Thanks for putting CRP on the podium for both days!
It is Official:
JULY 24th - July 26th will be the dates for the 7th Annual Kid Kart National Championships. Championship Racing Performance is proud to be the returning Title Sponsor!! Hope to see you all there.
We have just added a full line of superior products from Zero-Error.
Vega Tires added to product Line.
Championship Racing Performance announce launch of Kaden's new website at www.kadenharter.com
WKA GOLD CUP Kid Kart Class:
I have just been informed that the WKA Gold Cup committee had a meeting last night and unanimously voted to have the kid karts run an actual racing program with qualifying, heat race & feature. I feel this is a positive step to get these young drivers treated more like the racers that they are.
There is a time and place for exhibition racing in this class. In my opinion this is how a WKA National level race should be ran. I would like to personally thank the Gold Cup Board for listening to the parents and advocates of this endeavor and would like to encourage all to attend.
Kevin Harter assumes role as 2009 Great Lake Sprint Series Kid Kart Director:
After several phone calls from the board and much deliberation, I have decided to take on the challenge of being the Kid Kart Director for the 2009 Great Lakes Sprint Series (GLSS). The GLSS is a WKA Divisional Series that consists of five races at some of the nations best kart tracks. I fully intend to breathe new life into the kid kart class, which has seen dwindling numbers in the past couple of years. The first thing on my agenda will be to increase the kid kart count to respectable numbers at every race in 2009. After all, this is a WKA Divisional Series and with that should come the numbers, and the levels of competition that racers have come to expect. I have viewed the numbers in other divisional series and they are impressive. There is no reason the GLSS can not obtain these numbers as well.
The existing rules will be reviewed to attempt to remove some of the gray area and so that they are consistent through-out the year. My intent is to make tech simple, fair and expected. There will be information in the near future but I can say that I already getting excited about what lies ahead.
2009 GLSS Schedule:
April 17th-19th MRP (Southbend)
May 22nd-24th Circleville OH (CRP)
June 12th-14th Camden OH (G&J)
August 7th-9th Newcastle IN (NCMP)
September 25th-27th Beaverun PA
BARRETT WITH A HUGE VICTORY AT L.A.K.C !!
Bill and Ethan Barrett headed to the Los Angeles Kart Club this past weekend to take on 15 other talented drivers and crews in the Club's season opener. His father Bill and I have been talking on the phone quit a bit lately about his practice sessions and how promising everything had been sounding for them. I just knew he was going to have a great weekend as I could here the confidence in his voice when we spoke on Saturday. The long awaited final phone call of the weekend came late Sunday afternoon and the sound of Bill's voice telling me "We did it" was music to my ears. Although Ethan would come across the finish line in the second spot an illegal carb and some blatantly advanced timing would earn the the first place machine a DQ and put or young West Coast Super-Star on top of the podium. What a way to start the year!
"It was a great day, Thank you CRP for all of your help and input. Ethan is proud to be a team driver for CRP Racing!" wrote Bill in his post race report. We are so glad we could help and you have made myself and the entire Team very proud. We know it is not easy out there, but we have confidence that you will now doubt make us proud. Your new body work and 2009 TEAM Decal kit are on its way!!!!
Is anyone out there keeping score?!?!? Team CRP is 3 for 3 so far in 2009 With a win in the Toledo Rumble Series, a WKA Man Cup Feature win and now the L.A.K.C.
After much contemplation concerning the direction that we wanted to take with our two TEAM CRP Cadets drivers in 2009 and looking at all of our options and opportunities the decision to commit to race Arrow Chassis' in 2009 was made final today.
"I just don't see a better fit for us out there right now". I know Ben Beasley (Owner/Manager Beasley Motorsports Arrow Team) is committed to seeing us succeed, he has proved it with his junior program and we have absolutely no doubt that he will give us the support and attention we require to be successful in the Cadet and Sportsman classes. Kaden and I have always looked up to Gary Lawson for his chassis tuning expertise and coaching ability. We have worked with Gary in the past and were notably faster by the end of each of his sessions. "It just seems like a perfect match for us and we hope we can help put the Arrow Chassis on the podium." We plan on running the Great Lakes Sprint Series, Beaverun Championship Series, some WKA Manufacture's Cup events as well as a few local races when our schedule permits.
"We are very excited to get the season started. The amount of talent that has already came from the Beasley Motorsports Arrow Team is quite impressive. We are hoping to try and add to the consistency and long list of podiums that the Arrow Chassis' is accumulating."
December 22nd: The Rumble Series, Toledo, OH (Ty Canoles and Dalton Adkins)
CRP Team Driver Ty Canoles made his way to Toledo on Thursday evening to compete in the 2008 Rumble Series event. This would be only Ty's second oval track racing experience and after a solid finish a couple of weeks ago in Columbus he would prove that he was up for the challenge. He would go on Friday to lap the field, set fast kid kart time and win both heats and the feature convincingly. Jason Canoles, Ty's father said it was all Ty's driving, but I think all of Jason's years competing in 1/4 midgets when he was younger may have had something to do with it. The highlight of young Ty's weekend was having NASCAR driver Ken Schrader congratulate him and autograph his trophy for him. A win and a trophy of that magnitude will no doubt give him lasting memories for sure. Ty also got a chance to be interviewed on live radio where he took a minute to thank his parents and all of his sponsors. Weather would keep Robert and Dalton Adkins from making the trip on Friday but as the harsh winter weather broke Friday evening, they made there way from West Virginia to make the show on Saturday. In Saturday's event Ty would continue his winning way taking both heat race victories but Dalton's prior oval track experience and Robert's chassis tuning would put him at the top of the podium at the end of the Feature Race, with Ty taking the second spot. Congratulation to both of these fine young drivers and their families, proving that Team CRP not only plans to dominate the sprint track scene this season, but the oval track scene as well. Way to get the Team off to a tremendous start!!! Thanks for the pictures which can be seen in the gallery section!!
Nov 25th 2008: Great Lakes Sprint Series Banquet (Pictures in Gallery)
This past Saturday night brought our families, good friends and fellow racers together in Toledo, Ohio to celebrate another safe and successful racing season. Together with names like Machimi, Self, Robinson, Myers Jr. some of the nation's most talented young racers gathered to receive their awards and bring a close to another great year. The kid karters were not to be outdone. TEAM CRP sponsored drivers Cameron Karnik and Spencer Daniel's took two of the top three positions home and were the recipients of some amazing awards. Cameron finishing the series in 1st place earned himself a Championship Jacket and a Golden Eagle trophy almost and big as him and Spencer taking home 3rd place honors with a wonderful Golden Eagle plaque. Other Team CRP drivers had respectful finishes throughout the year as they continue to grow and gain the experience of their much older competitors. The night definitely belonged to the young guns of TEAM CRP. Kaden although not finishing in the top five in points did end up winning the 50/50 raffle and took home over $250.00 in cash and some great prizes. Hopefully some of that luck can stay with him in the 2009 season.
I would like to the time to congratulate and thank all of the 2008 Members of Team CRP for some lasting memories and a terrific season, may you all go on and do amazing things wherever your journey takes you. I would also like to thank the Great Lake Sprint Series and all of it's members for a safe and professionally ran Series and we look forward to returning next year defending our Kid Kart Title and maybe adding a few more to the list...
PRESS RELEASE:
Every major karting event needs a title sponsor and the 2008 Kid Kart Nationals is proud to announce that Championship Racing Performance is the title sponsor for 2008. Organized by the St. Louis Karting Association, The 2008 Kid Kart Nationals will be held July 26-27th in Pevely, Missouri.
The Kid Kart Nationals is unique to karting in that it is devoted to only two classes of kid karts. This years marks the 6th year for this event and it will bring together some of the best drivers in the 5 to 8 year old group. Drivers from all over the country will converge on the challenging track, commonly called "Thunder Valley". The Pevely I-55 Complex is a .55 mile sprint track consisting of 9 turns and an 800ft main straight away. The track also features hairpin turns, and a banked monza. This track is the perfect challenge for kart setup and a driver's skill.
“We are very excited to be going back this year as the Title Sponsor”, commented Kevin Harter, owner of Championship Racing Performance. "The number of remarkably talented young drivers that attend each year is a clear indication of the future of the sport of karting”
“We attended the race last year for the first time as a participant and had an absolute wonderful time", added Harter. “All the people involved with the event were highly professional and went out of their way to make it an event focused solely on the children”.
The St. Louis Karting Association and Championship Racing Performance are leading the way in the sport of kid karting. The organizers truly care about the younger generation and are trying to create a healthy yet competitive environment for the kids involved in the sport. For event and entry information, check out the St Louis Karting Association at www.slka.net. For more information on Championship Racing Performance, see www.crpracing.com or call (216) 543-6555.
Championship Racing Performance LLC is very pleased to announce the arrival of a BRAND NEW Forum Based information Website. It is located at:
http://www.teamcrp.forumsland.com/
Good Luck to everyone and stay safe !!
The 2nd round of IKF Region 7 took place in Phoenix Arizona this weekend. Saturday brought great weather & great racing all day, with kids from at least 5 states, California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, & Minnesota (could be others, but I don't know them all).... With the track partially gripped up from Friday's practice session, the qualifying times were fairly fast, but the track would certainly heat up further as the day moved along.
The top 5 qualifiers were karts:
1. Justin Hodge - 99 2. Carson Enright - 11 3. Hudson Morrow - 1 4. Hayden Wagner - 15 5. Tiger Ortiz - 65
The heat race was off & running with positions changing at the start. Hayden Wagner jumped from row 2 to first place before the first corner & led Carson Enright, Justin Hodge, Tiger Ortiz, & Hudson Morrow around the track for lap 1. This group of 5 started pulling away from the rest of the pack right away & it was clear on lap 2 that things were going to be bumper to bumper until the checkered flag. Ortiz & Morrow hooked up together midway through lap 2 & when they entered the back straight Ortiz tried to go high & Morrow went low. When the front 3 karts drifted high, Ortiz got blocked, but Morrow had a clear run & with the extra draft he & Ortiz created earlier in the lap, Morrow was able to clear 3 karts, going from 5th to 2nd & he held the low line of the banked Daytona corner in pursuit of Wagner. The group of 5 again stayed bumper to bumper through the very technical infield cornering & Morrow pulled closer to Wagner as they entered the uphill toward the back straight. Morrow was able to draft Wagner entering the straight & made the pass on the inside about halfway down the straight. While Morrow was making the pass on Wagner, Ortiz was fighting his way from 5th to 4th overtaking Hodge. As they entered lap 4, it was Morrow, Wagner, Enright, Ortiz, & Hodge still together & pulling away from the pack a bit more each lap. The group ran tight for several laps, without a change in the order until the white flag dropped. While Morrow was able to get away from the pack about 4 or 5 kart lengths in laps 5, 6, & 7, the group tracked him down quickly, all drafting together throughout the white flag lap. Heading up the hill & toward the back straight, Ortiz was pushing Enright, who was also pushing Wagner. They all caught Morrow as they turned toward the back straight & Wagner went for the pass down low. Morrow certainly felt the pressure, but he never backed off & pulled through the corner quicker than Wagner as he scrubbed off a little speed down low. Enright & Ortiz stuck together on the top of the track & they too carried more speed than Wagner down the straight, so the positions changed & Ortiz kept pushing Enright all the way through the Daytona. Coming out of the last corner, Enright went low, to bottom of Morrow, Ortiz went high above Morrow, & they were 3 wide at the finish line without anyone really knowing who won. When the data sheets came down, Morrow ended up in 1st, by less than 2 hundredths of a second, with Enright 2, Ortiz 3, Wagner 4, & Hodge 5th......The top 4 all finished less than .5 of a second apart from each other - man, what a race...
With that much excitement in the Heat Race, the crowd couldn't wait for the main. The temperature was a bit hotter, the track a bit more sticky, & the times were definitely faster for the main. This race went very much like the Heat Race did, except the positions were slightly different. At the start, Wagner again got a big jump as he moved up behind Enright & Morrow followed in 3rd. Ortiz followed closely in 4th & the group this time up front was a 4 kart pack, instead of 5. Something happened in tech after the heat, so Hodge was sent to the back of the pack for the main. Ortiz & Morrow worked together again early in the race & Morrow was able to pass Wagner within lap # 2, & then he passed Enright a lap later. Morrow would run up front again for the remaining laps as Ortiz continued to get faster lap after lap, passing Wagner, and then about lap 7, he passed Enright. Going into lap 8, Enright & Ortiz, working together were able to chase down Morrow up front & then Ortiz was bumper to bumper with Morrow for the next 3 laps. When Morrow and Ortiz got stuck together, they were able to pull away from Enright about 6 or 8 kart lengths, and then the battle was on for first. On the next to the last lap, Morrow was able to put some distance between he & Ortiz, but on the white flag lap, Ortiz was determined to track Morrow down. Ortiz ran some great lines through the infield, while Morrow got a bit shaky & on the back straight, the two were literally side by side all the way down and almost all the way through the sweeping Daytona. Ortiz stayed on the throttle hard through the reverse cambered left, but Morrow was able to hold his line outside as well. Heading to the finish line they were almost side by side again & Morrow beat Ortiz to the line by less than a nose.... the data sheets showed the finish to have a mere .131 of a second separating the 2 CRP TEAMATES for 1st & 2nd place finishes ....... It was a site to see when these kids got off their karts, shook each others hands & said congratulations.....
SUNDAY
It was another great day of racing in Phoenix today. A few karts from out of state left after Saturdays results, but the fast kids all remained to race again. In the early practice sessions, Hudson Morrow showed great progress on learning the track as his lap times were better early in the morning, but local track favorite Carson Enright was lighting up the track again as he was fastest in the morning sessions. The rest of the pack seemed to be testing all morning as their times were all over the map.
In qualifying, Enright went out first, which was a blessing in disquise for Hudson Morrow ...... something about having that kart out in front makes the young 6 year old drive with a little more intensity... While Enright was still tracking at about the same times as the early morning laps, Morrow almost caught him during the green, white, checkered qualifying, even with the staggered start........At the end of the session, it was clear that Morrow can drive that kart much faster when he's chasing someone than when he's out front without a carrot......Morrow ended the qualifying session with better than a 2 second lap time advantage over the rest of the field - oh to have that carrot for 10 laps :)
Enright ended the session with 2nd best time, with Justin Hodge, Hayden Wagner & Louis Ortiz all very close together ..... In fact, the rest of the pack ran very close times. (Wagner would get DQ'd for too much tire pressure, but everyone else was good)
For the Heat race, Morrow got a great start & led the field through the first corners. Positions changed immediately as Wagner jumped from last to 4th immediately.....Justin Hodge got a great start too as he moved into position #3, with Enright pushing hard on Morrow's back bumper.....Ortiz & the rest of the pack were in chase, close behind... For the next few laps Morrow ran comfortably out front, but Enright seemed to be reeling him in, little by little each lap, & Ortiz was picking off 1 kart per lap as well in chase of the front 2 karts. With about 4 laps to go, it was Morrow, Enright, Ortiz, Hodge, all pretty close together, but Morrow & Enright began pulling away as they started working together through the entire track. As Enright took some better lines through the infield, he was able to pass Morrow midway through the back straight away twice, but Morrow fought back immediately & regained the lead within the next two corners, beating Enright to flag both times, so he never officially gave up the lead even though positions changed during the laps. When the white flag dropped Morrow & Enright were side by side at the line but Morrow held enough speed on the inside line to beat Enright to the corner again..... This pass through the infield, Morrow took some better lines & he held about a 2 kart advantage the entire lap.... What was a breathtaking race to watch for everyone, ended again with Morrow on top, Enright second, Ortiz third, Hodge 4th, & after that, the remaining karts battled just as hard for positions 5 on back.
Seemed a bit hotter on Sunday before the main event took place. A jetting change was discussed by Morrow's team, but the decision was made to leave things alone & spend some on the track time with young Hudson discussing racing lines instead of changing the kart setup. Hudson agreed he had some bad runs in the heat & he was determined to get it right in the main. Hudson reminded dad that he led every lap on Sunday at the last IKF race in Buttonwillow, but then he spun out in the next to the last corner causing him to get third by .5 of a second instead of winning, so Hudson admitted he was being a bit more conservative now when he's got the lead. Dad encouraged Hudson to drive hard & not worry about spinning, because his skills were good enough to hold his lines - "just drive & have fun" were the Sr. Morrow's words & Hudson said "OK".
The main started about the same way as the Heat Race. Morrow led the pack around the first lap, but postions from 2nd to 5th were changing by the second. Ortiz got a great start as did Justin Hodge, & the two of them were chasing Morrow quickly with Enright right there as well. Justin Hodge had a great run up the hill on lap 3, and he carried some serious speed into the back straight, passing both Ortiz & Morrow at once and coming out of the Daytona about 4 kart lengths ahead. So, it was Hodge, Morrow, Ortiz & Enright all bumper to bumper as they entered lap 4..... As they passed through the infield, Morrow was in chase of Hodge & Ortiz was battling to get around Morrow so that he could fight for the lead. As Morrow went low in a tight infield corner, Ortiz went high & the two touched ever so slightly coming out of the corner ..... neither lost their lines, but Ortiz ended up having to go into the rocks as Morrow came out of his apex position & this caused Ortiz to lose a chain, ending the TEAM CRP run back to the front together. That allowed Enright to move into 3rd, about 6 kart lengths back from Hodge & Morrow. Morrow was the one carrying the serious speed this lap up the hill & he caught Hodge before they entered the back straight. Rather than lifting, Morrow dove below Hodge & entered the corner toward the back straight inside of Hodge. Hodge didn't lift either so they were both looking for space as Morrow drifted up & Hodge was hoping to come down off of that high bank ...... the two got connected together & Hodge started sliding sideways, while Morrow backed off in order to avoid further contact..... This action up front allowed Enright to blow right by both Morrow & Hodge & gain several seconds on everyone...... Morrow came through the collision still in 2nd, but way off the pace as he needed time to build that speed back up again. Hodge ended sidways on the track, so he lost even more time .... luckily, the motor stayed running & Hodge did get it turned around & continued his chase once again. For the next few laps, it looked like we were back in qualifying again, with Morrow chasing Enright for the lead. As we've learned before, Morrow just drives faster when he's chasing 1st place & after 3 laps, he regained the lead again with another great pass coming toward the checkered flag. Enright was not willing to give up so easily & in laps 8 & 9, Enright timed the hill and the back straight perfectly, passing Morrow for the lead again on both laps. The lead was short lived both times though as Morrow pulled the same move again, 2 more times right in front of the crowd, passing Enright at the flags both times. When the white flag dropped, Morrow & Enright were side by side again (these kids were amazing to watch all day). In the final lap, Morrow watched his lines closely & pulled about 5 kart lengths from Enright through the infied corners & this time, Morrow was not going to give up the lead on the back straight. Morrow carried his speed through the Daytona for the last time & he held about a 1 kart length lead as he took the checkered flag in first place again. The black flag was waved with the checkered just so that everyone could review the earlier contact and make sure the racing was clean.
After a detailed technical inspection of the entire top 5, all officials took time to review the driving, passing, & it was agreed by all that the fans watched the kids battle it out on the track with some serious heart thumping racing, but there was no rough driving, just kids fighting hard for positions in some tight places. All karts passed tech, but the 4th place finish got a DQ for tire pressure, just as Wagner received earlier in the day.....both times, the left rear tire was at 20.1, something about that tire was getting hot for those karts....
Final order for Sundays main was:
1. Morrow - 1 2. Enright - 11 (local driver) 3. Hodge - 99 4. Willis - 73 (another local driver) 5. Derek Deslauriers - 34 (Minnesota driver)
2010 TEAM DRIVERS
SPENCER DANIELS: This will be Spencer's third year with the team. We have seen him grow from his very beginning in kid karts all the way to his first season in Cadets last year. He brings a wealth of experience with him having traveled all over the U.S. racing road course and both dirt and asphalt ovals. He will be primarily honing his cadet racing skills at Beaverun this season, but we are hoping that he ventures out to a Regional race or two. Welcome back Spencer and we can't wait to get the season started with you.
HUDSON MORROW: Hudson is the youngest team member ever selected by CRP Racing. This West Coast phenom is simply a Superstar in the making. As a 5 year old last season, Hudson raced on multiple different tracks throughout California & Nevada and he quickly proved to be one of the most skilled and competitive kid kart drivers in the Region. Hudson raced in several IKF Region 7 & Region 11 events and never once finished off the podium. Hudson will take on the challenge of the Region 7 chase for the Championship this year & has high hopes of becoming the youngest IKF Grand National Champion in the history of the sport. We look forward to getting to know the Morrow family much better & hope that scheduling will allow them to participate in the Kid Kart Nationals in July. Enjoy the ride Hudson & welcome to TEAM CRP. Congratulations!!!
HARRY COULTON: Harry is an East Coast karting sensation that continues to be the one that all the other kid karters try to finish ahead of. This will be his third year racing karts and he is starting to build quite an impressive karting resume. Racing is in his blood and he even does some of his own maintenance to keep his machine running up front. We welcome Harry and his entire family to TEAM CRP and look forward to an exciting year!
NICK LUEDEKE: He has been a fellow competitor of ours for two years now and will be running almost the exact same equipment as Kaden in 2010. This means a ton of testing and working together in cadet and Yamaha Jr. Sportsman. Nick will be competing at Beaverun, the Great Lakes Sprint Series and some WKA Man Cup events in 2010. We wish him the best of luck and look forward to a great year of racing together.
LUIS "TIGER" ORTIZ: A rising West Coast karting sensation that will be representing us in IKF Region 7 and at the Grand Nationals in 2010. He will hopefully make the trip to the Kid Kart Nationals in July as well. He will definitely be a force to be reckoned with on the West Coast and we are hoping for big things to come from him. Congratulations Tiger!!!
CADEN PASZKIEWICZ: We are proud to have Caden back on our team in 2010. This young driver from Hartland, Wisconsin was a fourth place finisher for us at the 2009 Kid Kart Nationals and has many heat and feature wins with his local club. Caden will be once again attending the Kid Kart Nationals and also plans on running some of the Regional races in his area along with his club racing. No doubt he will be one driver to watch in Missouri come July. We are glad to welcome you and your family back, Good Luck and Congratulations!!
TOMMY FRAZIER: We have known Tommy for a couple of years now, competing with him at the cadet level. He will be moving up to Yamaha Jr. Super Can in 2010 and racing primarily at Beaverun Motorsports Complex. Tommy has won two local track Championships and I can tell you with the level of talent that is in the Ohio/PA area, this is not an easy task by any stretch. His father is one of the hardest working guys I know in the pits and with Tommy's driving skills, we are sure they will make the transition moving up from cadets very quickly. Good Luck Tommy and welcome to TEAM CRP.
SETH HICKMAN: Seth comes to us from Oshkosh, Wisconsin and was a Top Three Finisher at the 2009 Kid Kart Nationals. He will certainly have his eyes set on a National Championship in 2010 and will keep his skills sharp at the club level racing at both Shawano and Road America. Welcome aboard Seth and Congratulations!
BRANDIN WARWAS: Brandin is a talented driver from Cypress, Texas. He is the 2009 High Point Series Champion. He swept the spring and fall series and is the current fast lap record holder for both sessions. He also pulled off a Southwest Regional Cup win in 09. In 2010 he will be racing the Gulf Coast Karting Series, as well and the Southwest Regional Cup Series and plans to attend the 2010 Kid Kart Nationals. Congratulations Brandin and welcome to the TEAM!
KADEN HARTER: Kaden is the back bone of Team CRP and is continuing to get smoother and faster each and every time out. He came on very strong at the end of the 2009 season with a top three finish in Regional competition against some of the best in the nation and at Beaverun running with the top three in the Cadet class. We think we found him just the right mix of engine and Chassis to match his driving style and there is no doubt in my mind that in 2010, podium appearances will be a common occurrence.
A recap of our very successful racing Season!
As with any racing season there are ups and downs. There are National Championships, Regional Championships, Series Championships, Local Championships, Top 3 Finishes, Top 5 finishes, Top 10 finishes and then there are days we just rather put behind us and learn from them. Fortunately, for TEAM CRP in 2009 there were not too many days we wanted to put behind us. This was our most successful season to date and we are no doubt on a roll!!! We had wins just about everywhere this year. From the East Coast to the West Coast, and even down in South America we raced hard. We were everywhere and everywhere we went, we were winning races. All season long Team CRP drivers and crews proved that it takes much more than big money engines, over priced equipment, fuel doping and fresh tires every race to be successful. It takes hard work, dedication, integrity and a ton of practice and determination.
Just a few of the innumerable accomplishments of the Team Drivers in 2009 were: Dominating the Kid Kart Nationals with a total of only 6 entries, 3 in the Restricted class that claimed 3 of the Top 5 podium spots and another 3 entries in the Unrestricted class resulting in the National Champion and another top 5. That is 6 drivers out of the 36 there, taking home 5 podium spots and we didn’t stop there. These amazing young men took the IKF Region 7 Sunday Kid Kart Championship, the New Castle Motorsports Kart Racing Series Championship, the Los Angeles Kart Club Championship, the California State Championship Title, finished 2nd at the Midvale Karting Series, 3rd at Great Lakes Sprint Series and countless heat and feature wins in the WKA, IKF, Central American Championship and the list goes on and on… We build trust in the engine and chassis, but most importantly we train and build confidence in the driver. In case you are wondering, we plan to continue our upward spiral in 2010, whether it is running a Comer or a Briggs, bolted to Birel, Top Kart, Arrow, or CRG chassis we have every intention of continuing our dominating ways.
Here at CRP “WE CHASE THE DREAM, NOT THE COMPETITION
California State Championships: Kid Karts this weekend belonged to one driver and one driver only, Ethan Barrett. Normally a close class by nature, the Kid Karts usually provide a great battle from start to finish. This weekend there was still hot and heavy action on track but it was for the lower steps on the podium and not for the win. Barrett qualified on pole both days and won both heat races. He backed things up with two wins in the finals as well. Saturday’s rain performance was extraordinary as he put half a track between himself and Anthony Sawyer in the adverse conditions. Third place was up for grabs and eventually Ryan Lewis won out. All wasn’t perfect for Barrett, as he had to fight back on Sunday from fifth after being slowed on the start. This did allow Hudson Morrow and Dylan McKenzie to get a taste of the lead, but it was short lived. Barrett took back the lead around halfway and went on to his second win of the weekend. Taken from ekartingnews.com article written by Sean Buur - Go Racing Magazine
Congratulations Ethan, Not only did he dominate the California State Championships this past weekend with a total sweep winning the feature on Saturday by over 19 Seconds, he is also crushed the West Coast competition all season and won Los Angelos Track Championship. His new Nickname is the "Storm Stopper"
There is nothing like going out on Top, and this past weekend in Guatemala young driving sensation Nicolas Saravia did just that! Setting fast qualifying time and putting his #16 kart on the pole. He went on to win a hard fought battle taking a win in both the pre-final and the final. The competition in stiff there and the many of the drivers spend a ton of time in Florida practicing in the Easy 60cc class and the micro-max class. It sometimes seems like and insurmountable task to make the podium, but perseverance and Nicolas’s true driving ability is what has been paying off time and time again at the track. We are very proud of all of your efforts this season and wish we could have been there to be a part of the celebration. Nicolas will be returning to Team CRP in 2010 and plans to attend many races in the U.S. and the Kid Kart Nationals in July. Congratulations Nicolas
What an incredible weekend!! I would like to first thank both Enrique and Elizabeth for their hospitality and kindness. Throughout my entire trip they went out of their way to make sure I was comfortable and had everything I needed. Thanks for the opportunity to see Guatemala and El Salvador, two countries I would have probably never visited without your invitation. It was a weekend I will most likely never forget. I must say it is very different racing in Central America, the karts are just as fast, the drivers are just as focused but it is much more of a spectacle than here in the U.S. There were huge sponsor banners and tents everywhere, inflatables galore, music playing constantly and the awards presentation was quite an event with Sobe Adrenaline being sprayed everywhere. Nicolas was truly a joy to watch, and I was very impressed by his ability to hit every mark. It is quite obvious watching this young man, that his father has spent quite a bit of time working with him and knows what he is doing behind the wheel. We had our work cut out for us as the two points leading competitors were running 57cc Bluebird engines (rated at over 3.4 h.p. stock) which as most of you know is over 1 ˝ h.p. more than even the best Comer C51’s. The rules are very vague, to say the least, and it almost seemed like an impossible task as I watched the practice times of the drivers running the other engine package. We tried everything on Friday after we had spent a few hours just tweaking the chassis the afternoon prior, and got done to where we thought we had a shot at the top three.
Qualifying rolled around, which is much different than the states. It is basically a 15 free run session, we sent Nicholas out and he quickly got his fast time and we pulled him in, made two changes and sent him back out. He set the pole by almost a second and a half! The pre-final, from a standing start would have the Bluebird engines leave us like we not even pushing the gas, Nicolas quickly caught up at the end of the first lap and would leave the entire field crossing the finish line of the 10 lap race over 8 seconds ahead of 2d place. The start of the final race was more of the same, there was nothing we could do to keep the Bluebird engines from launching off the line from a dead start, we had no idea what gear ratio they were running as we were told that since we were running Comers that we had to run a 10 tooth driver with 77 rear for this particular track. But again it took no time at all for Nicolas to smoothly make his way to the front. At the half way mark of the 15 lap feature he was over 8 seconds ahead and already passing lap traffic. I had set the kart up, conservatively and it started to get tight around lap 10 and he gained a couple of tenths and 2 and 3rd (Bluebirds) were starting to close a bit but I was comfortable with his lead and thought that as smooth as he looked the race was in hand. Lap traffic thought different and as he took the white flag we realized it was going to play a factor and we hoped he would hit it in the straight aways and not the technical corners. It didn’t work out that way and he was slowed tremendously in one corner by lap traffic and the next thing we knew 2d and 3rd where now on his rear bumper. Coming around the bend for the final corner lap traffic would impede his speed again and allow the 2d place kart to advance at the line edging Nicolas but less than a kart length.
Disappointing yes, but we and more importantly his competitors knew who the fastest kart of the weekend was. He did an excellent job and proved our theory once again that it take more than Horse power to win a race. It takes a good chassis set up and a talented driver. Nicolas did an amazing job, and I will continue to travel back to help him with his program.
Again thanks to the Saravia family for inviting me and making me feel like one of the family, and I also want to give a special thanks to Marcos for all of his help with the kart.
Ethan Barrett takes a pair of 3rds in IKF Region 7's Season Opener:
This past weekend Ethan Barrett would head to the famed California Speedway to compete in the IKF, Region 7 Season opener. It was a wet and cold Saturday and it would be the young driving sensations first time ever competing in the rain. Ethan qualified 3rd for the heat race and ended up finishing 3rd. After the #8 kart was DQ'd for a loose muffler he would move up to start Saturdays main event in the number two spot. Ethan got off on a bad start and ended up getting hit from behind and spun on the start and in true CRP fashion would make it all the way back up into the 3rd spot by the time the checkered flag dropped. An amazing effort to come from last after a spin all the way back up to 3rd for his first time ever racing in wet conditions.
Returning to the track on Sunday for day two, Mother Nature would again frown and with no site of the skies clearing up they would have to do it all over in the rain again. I often joke with Bill about how lucky they have it racing out in sunny California as we all sit back here in Ohio and freeze. I was hoping he didn't feel like I jinxed him for the weekend. When it came time to put the # 88 TEAM CRP kart on the track for qualifying , there was over an inch of standing water on the track. Ethan would do one better on Sunday and qualified in the number two spot. In the heat race Ethan raced a great race and crossed the finish line in 2d place. In the main, after suffering another bad start but drove back up to 2nd. On the second to last lap, he spun but recovered and raced his way back to third (in the very last turn) for the checkered flag.
We are proud to have the Barretts on the team this year and Ethan has not finished a race out of the top three so far this year. Thanks for putting CRP on the podium for both days!
It is Official:
JULY 24th - July 26th will be the dates for the 7th Annual Kid Kart National Championships. Championship Racing Performance is proud to be the returning Title Sponsor!! Hope to see you all there.
We have just added a full line of superior products from Zero-Error.
Vega Tires added to product Line.
Championship Racing Performance announce launch of Kaden's new website at www.kadenharter.com
WKA GOLD CUP Kid Kart Class:
I have just been informed that the WKA Gold Cup committee had a meeting last night and unanimously voted to have the kid karts run an actual racing program with qualifying, heat race & feature. I feel this is a positive step to get these young drivers treated more like the racers that they are.
There is a time and place for exhibition racing in this class. In my opinion this is how a WKA National level race should be ran. I would like to personally thank the Gold Cup Board for listening to the parents and advocates of this endeavor and would like to encourage all to attend.
Kevin Harter assumes role as 2009 Great Lake Sprint Series Kid Kart Director:
After several phone calls from the board and much deliberation, I have decided to take on the challenge of being the Kid Kart Director for the 2009 Great Lakes Sprint Series (GLSS). The GLSS is a WKA Divisional Series that consists of five races at some of the nations best kart tracks. I fully intend to breathe new life into the kid kart class, which has seen dwindling numbers in the past couple of years. The first thing on my agenda will be to increase the kid kart count to respectable numbers at every race in 2009. After all, this is a WKA Divisional Series and with that should come the numbers, and the levels of competition that racers have come to expect. I have viewed the numbers in other divisional series and they are impressive. There is no reason the GLSS can not obtain these numbers as well.
The existing rules will be reviewed to attempt to remove some of the gray area and so that they are consistent through-out the year. My intent is to make tech simple, fair and expected. There will be information in the near future but I can say that I already getting excited about what lies ahead.
2009 GLSS Schedule:
April 17th-19th MRP (Southbend)
May 22nd-24th Circleville OH (CRP)
June 12th-14th Camden OH (G&J)
August 7th-9th Newcastle IN (NCMP)
September 25th-27th Beaverun PA
BARRETT WITH A HUGE VICTORY AT L.A.K.C !!
Bill and Ethan Barrett headed to the Los Angeles Kart Club this past weekend to take on 15 other talented drivers and crews in the Club's season opener. His father Bill and I have been talking on the phone quit a bit lately about his practice sessions and how promising everything had been sounding for them. I just knew he was going to have a great weekend as I could here the confidence in his voice when we spoke on Saturday. The long awaited final phone call of the weekend came late Sunday afternoon and the sound of Bill's voice telling me "We did it" was music to my ears. Although Ethan would come across the finish line in the second spot an illegal carb and some blatantly advanced timing would earn the the first place machine a DQ and put or young West Coast Super-Star on top of the podium. What a way to start the year!
"It was a great day, Thank you CRP for all of your help and input. Ethan is proud to be a team driver for CRP Racing!" wrote Bill in his post race report. We are so glad we could help and you have made myself and the entire Team very proud. We know it is not easy out there, but we have confidence that you will now doubt make us proud. Your new body work and 2009 TEAM Decal kit are on its way!!!!
Is anyone out there keeping score?!?!? Team CRP is 3 for 3 so far in 2009 With a win in the Toledo Rumble Series, a WKA Man Cup Feature win and now the L.A.K.C.
After much contemplation concerning the direction that we wanted to take with our two TEAM CRP Cadets drivers in 2009 and looking at all of our options and opportunities the decision to commit to race Arrow Chassis' in 2009 was made final today.
"I just don't see a better fit for us out there right now". I know Ben Beasley (Owner/Manager Beasley Motorsports Arrow Team) is committed to seeing us succeed, he has proved it with his junior program and we have absolutely no doubt that he will give us the support and attention we require to be successful in the Cadet and Sportsman classes. Kaden and I have always looked up to Gary Lawson for his chassis tuning expertise and coaching ability. We have worked with Gary in the past and were notably faster by the end of each of his sessions. "It just seems like a perfect match for us and we hope we can help put the Arrow Chassis on the podium." We plan on running the Great Lakes Sprint Series, Beaverun Championship Series, some WKA Manufacture's Cup events as well as a few local races when our schedule permits.
"We are very excited to get the season started. The amount of talent that has already came from the Beasley Motorsports Arrow Team is quite impressive. We are hoping to try and add to the consistency and long list of podiums that the Arrow Chassis' is accumulating."
December 22nd: The Rumble Series, Toledo, OH (Ty Canoles and Dalton Adkins)
CRP Team Driver Ty Canoles made his way to Toledo on Thursday evening to compete in the 2008 Rumble Series event. This would be only Ty's second oval track racing experience and after a solid finish a couple of weeks ago in Columbus he would prove that he was up for the challenge. He would go on Friday to lap the field, set fast kid kart time and win both heats and the feature convincingly. Jason Canoles, Ty's father said it was all Ty's driving, but I think all of Jason's years competing in 1/4 midgets when he was younger may have had something to do with it. The highlight of young Ty's weekend was having NASCAR driver Ken Schrader congratulate him and autograph his trophy for him. A win and a trophy of that magnitude will no doubt give him lasting memories for sure. Ty also got a chance to be interviewed on live radio where he took a minute to thank his parents and all of his sponsors. Weather would keep Robert and Dalton Adkins from making the trip on Friday but as the harsh winter weather broke Friday evening, they made there way from West Virginia to make the show on Saturday. In Saturday's event Ty would continue his winning way taking both heat race victories but Dalton's prior oval track experience and Robert's chassis tuning would put him at the top of the podium at the end of the Feature Race, with Ty taking the second spot. Congratulation to both of these fine young drivers and their families, proving that Team CRP not only plans to dominate the sprint track scene this season, but the oval track scene as well. Way to get the Team off to a tremendous start!!! Thanks for the pictures which can be seen in the gallery section!!
Nov 25th 2008: Great Lakes Sprint Series Banquet (Pictures in Gallery)
This past Saturday night brought our families, good friends and fellow racers together in Toledo, Ohio to celebrate another safe and successful racing season. Together with names like Machimi, Self, Robinson, Myers Jr. some of the nation's most talented young racers gathered to receive their awards and bring a close to another great year. The kid karters were not to be outdone. TEAM CRP sponsored drivers Cameron Karnik and Spencer Daniel's took two of the top three positions home and were the recipients of some amazing awards. Cameron finishing the series in 1st place earned himself a Championship Jacket and a Golden Eagle trophy almost and big as him and Spencer taking home 3rd place honors with a wonderful Golden Eagle plaque. Other Team CRP drivers had respectful finishes throughout the year as they continue to grow and gain the experience of their much older competitors. The night definitely belonged to the young guns of TEAM CRP. Kaden although not finishing in the top five in points did end up winning the 50/50 raffle and took home over $250.00 in cash and some great prizes. Hopefully some of that luck can stay with him in the 2009 season.
I would like to the time to congratulate and thank all of the 2008 Members of Team CRP for some lasting memories and a terrific season, may you all go on and do amazing things wherever your journey takes you. I would also like to thank the Great Lake Sprint Series and all of it's members for a safe and professionally ran Series and we look forward to returning next year defending our Kid Kart Title and maybe adding a few more to the list...
PRESS RELEASE:
Every major karting event needs a title sponsor and the 2008 Kid Kart Nationals is proud to announce that Championship Racing Performance is the title sponsor for 2008. Organized by the St. Louis Karting Association, The 2008 Kid Kart Nationals will be held July 26-27th in Pevely, Missouri.
The Kid Kart Nationals is unique to karting in that it is devoted to only two classes of kid karts. This years marks the 6th year for this event and it will bring together some of the best drivers in the 5 to 8 year old group. Drivers from all over the country will converge on the challenging track, commonly called "Thunder Valley". The Pevely I-55 Complex is a .55 mile sprint track consisting of 9 turns and an 800ft main straight away. The track also features hairpin turns, and a banked monza. This track is the perfect challenge for kart setup and a driver's skill.
“We are very excited to be going back this year as the Title Sponsor”, commented Kevin Harter, owner of Championship Racing Performance. "The number of remarkably talented young drivers that attend each year is a clear indication of the future of the sport of karting”
“We attended the race last year for the first time as a participant and had an absolute wonderful time", added Harter. “All the people involved with the event were highly professional and went out of their way to make it an event focused solely on the children”.
The St. Louis Karting Association and Championship Racing Performance are leading the way in the sport of kid karting. The organizers truly care about the younger generation and are trying to create a healthy yet competitive environment for the kids involved in the sport. For event and entry information, check out the St Louis Karting Association at www.slka.net. For more information on Championship Racing Performance, see www.crpracing.com or call (216) 543-6555.
Championship Racing Performance LLC is very pleased to announce the arrival of a BRAND NEW Forum Based information Website. It is located at:
http://www.teamcrp.forumsland.com/
Good Luck to everyone and stay safe !!
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